Never Second Best
by xNewEnglanderx
Summary: Spinelli and Lulu are in a healthy and blissful relationship, dating for five years and more in love than ever. Then Spinelli's job calls him away from home. The mission was supposed to last only a month. What happens when he disappears for years?
1. Return

**Disclaimer: **I do not own General Hospital or any of its characters.

This story is based off of an idea of my friend, Venita's. I would also like to thank Stef for helping me along with the plotline! This story is also an alternate reality!

With that...I present to you, the first chapter of "Never Second Best". I hope you enjoy!

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Numerous bruises still adorned Spinelli's forearms, abdomen, and face, each one of them varying in color, ranging from sickeningly yellow to inflamed bright red to a deep, grotesque purple. Along with that, his shoulder blade bore two swollen diagonal slit marks—scars resulting from the punishment of an attempt to revolt. Not to mention, his clothes weren't the most hygienic, and for that matter, neither was he. But after being held captive for a little more than two years, there wasn't much more to expect than that.

His hair lay in long, greasy clumps, tangled and impossible to manage. His face was splattered with dirt and caked over with soured sweat and dried blood; his normally smooth jaw bristled over with a short grimy beard. His shirt was frayed at the edges, his jacket was torn, and all of his clothing had built up a layer of filth and dust. He was a ragamuffin to say the very least—but still, despite the condition of his clothes, they had kept him warm even when the dungeon was brutally frigid. And even though he had endured trials of pain, both physical and emotional, and had been constantly humiliated, taunted, and tortured, at least he was walking away now…and that was all that mattered.

True, walking away hadn't been an option for Spinelli…but he had done it regardless. It had taken him close to two year and a half years to properly plan and to wait for the opportune moment, but he had finally escaped the hell hole his captor had created for him. A brick had conveniently wiggled loose from the wall that contained him. And when the guard came to feed him, Spinelli brought the brick forcefully over his head. Knowing that his true captor was at the time on a business trip (guards gossiped constantly), Spinelli slipped into his household, stole a couple hundred bucks, and fled to the nearest airport.

Ignoring the glares and grimaces of passers-by, he bought a plane ticket, and headed home to Port Charles. His thoughts were still fuzzy, polluted with negative memories, and poisoned with pessimistic thoughts of the future. How long would he remain safe before he was found again? Would he even try to find him? Why had he been kept alive for so long in the first place? Had Spinelli acted as leverage? Why didn't Jason attempt to find him when he went missing? And most importantly…how was Lulu?

Swallowing a lump that had formed in his throat, he sighed, reaching into his jacket pocket to retrieve the two items that had kept him clinging to life throughout the unrelenting chaos of the recent years. The first item was a note. Lulu had written it to him right before he had accepted the assignment. In it, was the promise that Spinelli would always have her heart…her undying, eternal devotion and love. It was weathered and tarnished and had become soft and yellow from being handled so much. Its lettering was smudged by Spinelli's fingertips…so much so, that it was difficult to read. And yet, the actual deciphering of the calligraphy was unnecessary as Spinelli knew every single word by heart.

And the second item, was a ring. Spinelli had bought it while he was on the assignment. It wasn't a humongous diamond, but the ring itself was delicate, flattering, and beautiful. Something that Lulu would no doubt love. He had intended to propose to her as soon as he returned from his job—of course, his plans had been delayed. But regardless, they remained unchanged.

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So what does everyone think? I know it's a Spixie era right now, and trust me, I love Spixie too...but I hope there are still some old Spinlu fans like me out there! This is just the beginning and I promise that all questions will be answered eventually. :)

I would absolutely love your comments and to see if you guys are interested in reading more. I don't mean to bribe anyone, but cookies (sugar, chocolate chip, and oatmeal) will be given to those who comment. :D Thank you so much!

**Next Chapter**: The beginning.

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	2. The Beginning

Lulu paced anxiously in anticipation of Spinelli's return, trying to preoccupy herself by attempting to make the take-out Chinese cuisine look gourmet. Folding a pair of slightly wrinkled paper napkins into triangles, she placed chopsticks atop them and then went to work on the piece de resistance. Taking a couple of white lilies, she snapped the heads off with scissors, and arranged them delicately among the oriental food containers. Stepping back to observe her work, Lulu smiled, pleased. True, while take-out didn't seem to mesh with the grandeur of everything else she planned, that's what Spinelli liked. And that's all that mattered because tonight was about him. And about them.

Racing throughout their penthouse, Lulu hurried to switch off all the lights, replacing them with the atmospheric glow of numerous candles as she did. Inhaling the sandalwood fragrance did nothing to suppress her anxiousness and she found herself in front of her bathroom mirror to tidy her hair as a way to quell her eager tremors. Her heart thrummed obnoxiously loud and fast and her stomach was incessantly somersaulting, with no sense of reprieve. And that's when she heard the familiar comforting jingle of keys from the front door, signaling Spinelli's return.

A smile graced her features and she couldn't restrain her enthusiasm as she skipped down the stairs just in enough time to witness Spinelli's reaction. Shutting the door softly behind him, he swung his messenger bag off of his shoulder as his eyes swept the room. Shining resplendently with awe, they widened slightly in surprise as a small, wry grin pulled on a corner of his mouth. At this, Lulu giggled and Spinelli turned around as their gazes met, each of them exchanging smiles.

"Hello," she said simply, a hint of a laugh in her tone.

"Why, hello yourself," he finished with his own grin.

Ambling over to him, Lulu kissed him gently on his cheek.

"You look surprised," she noted as she pulled away, trying to hide a knowing smirk.

"I am. Pleasantly surprised…," he trailed off, kicking his shoes into the nearest corner of the room. "And for what reason do I deserve this glorious treatment?"

At this, Lulu's smile just widened as she poured orange soda into two champagne flutes, laughing inwardly at the coincidence. There was another reason why she wouldn't be drinking champagne that night, besides Spinelli's aversion to alcohol. But that reason she would wait to reveal until later.

"Does a girl need a reason to pamper her boyfriend?" She countered playfully.

"You mean you did this all just because you love me?" He laughed.

"Is there any better reason?"

"None whatsoever," he finished, smiling widely.

Both sitting down at the table, they kept glancing at each other, grins gracing their features frequently as if they had been two first graders crushing for the first time. Preoccupying themselves by piling an assortment of different Chinese food onto their plates, Spinelli kept up his façade of obliviousness. Lulu's little act of innocence hadn't fooled Spinelli in the least but he had already resolved to humor her. Besides, he thoroughly enjoyed the rosy tint that hued her cheeks, the tinkling laughter that escaped from her pink, pouty lips. Eventually, he would learn the secret that she was so enjoyably hiding from him—even if he had to drag it from her.

"So…," Lulu began, the same wry grin accentuating her glowing features. "How was your day?" The question was so ordinary, so characteristically innocent, that it immediately made Spinelli's suspicions resurface.

"Satisfactory," he said, returning her smile. "And yours?"

At this, Lulu lowered her gaze, trying to suppress her knowing smile as she delved into the nearest food container with her chopsticks, pinching a piece of Kung Po chicken between them. Leaning across the table, she remained mute as she brought the spicy food to Spinelli's mouth eagerly. Smirking, Spinelli grasped Lulu's wrist gently as he wriggled her offering out between her fingers, setting it down gingerly on the plate in front of him. Her eyes widened slightly in surprise but she played along willingly, laughing gently as he lowered his head to her hand, kissing each and every finger. Her eyes closed involuntarily and she shuddered as he inched her closer, tugging on her hand so that he could caress her arm with his lips, giving it the same treatment as her fingers.

It didn't take much persuasion and within moments, Lulu stood up and was sauntering to the other end of the table toward Spinelli. His smile was complacent as he welcomed her, curling an arm around her waist as she sank softly into his lap, straddling his hips securely on the small dining room chair. Tilting his head to the side, he raised an eyebrow expectantly. "You're keeping something from me," he said, to which she giggled once more, making Spinelli's skin scorch and his heart pound. Even after five years of dating, Lulu still had the ability to make Spinelli melt.

"You think?" She teased, lowering her mouth to his ear, her whisper sending shivers down his spine. Turning into putty underneath her touch, his body responded immediately, his hand wandering up to her cheek as he guided her lips towards his own. With gentle sensitivity, she pressed them firmly against his, smothering both their smiles as their lips crushed together. Even though Spinelli was dying to know her secret, he would play up the charades for awhile if it meant he got to kiss Lulu in the process. He could be a patient man. Therefore, wrapping his arm tighter around her waist, he edged her closer, their bodies melding to each other as he deepened the kiss. Sighing deeply, Lulu abandoned his lips temporarily as she etched a small trail of kisses over his jawline and down his neck.

His breath lodged in his throat as the hand that was keeping her closer snaked itself up her back, caressing her soft skin. This elicited a soft gasp from Lulu and she found his mouth once more, kissing him enthusiastically. Reaching for the bottom lace of her shirt, he began to tug upwards when the sharp, piercing ring of his cellphone shattered their silence abruptly. Both groaned at the sudden interruption, and Spinelli fumbled inside the pocket of his plaid shorts to quiet the obnoxious call. Both their bodies relaxed once more as the din disappeared and they smiled knowingly, their lips fusing together in another passionate kiss fueled by their mutual desperation to never stop touching one another. Lulu reached up, combing her fingers through his hair as he pressed light kisses into the hollow where her neck met her collarbone. And then…there it was again. The keen trill of his cellphone reverberated throughout the kitchen and both of them nearly hissed with aggravation.

This time it was Lulu who dispatched the call, reaching into his pocket, flipping open the top and slamming it down quickly, hanging up on whoever was on the other side of the phone. Tossing it on the kitchen table, she bit her lip mischievously, sending Spinelli's heart fluttering. Both shared a quick and quiet laugh before Spinelli reached up and brought her lips down on his again. Her slender fingers stroked up the front of his shirt, memorizing the lines of his abdomen and before she could rid him of his shirt altogether, the phone rang once more. If anything, this one seemed more blaring and more ear-splitting than ever before, almost as if it demanded to be answered.

Rolling her eyes, Lulu knew even before Spinelli reacted what he would do. Therefore, trying to dissuade him, she peppered his face with sweet kisses, leaving blistering trails of heat wherever her lips touched. "Don't. Don't answer it," she begged, one word spoken between each kiss. He groaned audibly, wishing that he could just succumb to her pleads--but the fact of the matter was that it could be important. "I'm sorry. I—I can't just let it go to voicemail. It could be an issue of some significance. If it's Milo though…," Spinelli mused, reaching halfheartedly for his vibrating phone.

Picking it up, his body went rigid as he read the caller ID, his muscles bunching and tensing. Simultaneously, Lulu picked up on his stress, her eyes widening in concern as she perused Spinelli's expression. Anxiously, she awaited his explanation.

"It's Stone Cold…"

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Yay! Thanks so much for all the reviews! It does my heart good to know that there are still Spinlu fans out there. :D It means a lot that you read and reviewed! Hopefully, you guys liked this chapter...the questions have only just begun!

**Next chapter: **The mission.

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